A woman riding an e-bike. Reader Hazel Price makes a plea to other road users. Photograph: Andy Hall for the Observer

Would all the rude people who shout “cheat!” when I’m riding my electric bike please stop. Why do they think this is cheating and why do they feel entitled to abuse me? I use my e-bike for shopping, commuting to work and to build up muscles in my knees in preparation for an operation. The advantages are huge: I can cycle along manually on flat roads or the towpath, and when I come to a hill, of which there are many in Stroud, I can use power assist. It’s clean transport, costs nothing and causes no pollution. E-bikes are now widely used in Holland, Belgium and Denmark by commuters of all ages. In this country, we are still stuck in the mindset that bicycles have to be used for exercise not pleasure. I’ve been a cyclist for years, but now, being unable to use a manual bike, I treasure the freedom and enjoyment my e-bike brings me. I’m a working counsellor and a granny, ride on the road at a reasonable speed, safely and considerately. Please, don’t shout after me – it’s upsetting. Would you publicly humiliate disabled people for getting out and about on their mobility scooters?Hazel PriceStonehouse, Gloucestershire